This was one of the most random birthday party decoration ideas I have ever had, but I am pretty much in love with how it turned out. The sea anemone "4" ended up being a perfect centerpiece for the Octonauts decorations at our Octonauts birthday party. You can make it in any design you want - a different number, or a first initial, or if you're really ambitious, a full name.

While this project was a little bit time consuming, it was not terribly expensive or difficult. Here's what you'll need to make your own.

Sea Anemone Birthday Number Decoration

Supplies Needed

-Large Plastic Canvas

-Sharpie

-Scissors

-LOTS of Pipe Cleaners in colors of your choice

I found the plastic canvas at Hobby Lobby, but most craft store should sell it. It measured around 18" wide by 3 feet tall.

1. Using a Sharpie, draw your letter template onto the canvas, then cut out. The edges will be a little sharp and it's okay if the marker lines show.

2. Cut pipe cleaners in half. You could leave them full length, but I found the pieces a little too long for my taste. Starting at an edge, thread both ends of pipe cleaner through adjacent holes. Bring the pieces through the other side, pull tight, and twist to hold in place.

3. Repeat....forever. This project took ages to complete and my hands kept getting pricked by the pipe cleaner edges - but sea anemones sting, so it's all good fun I suppose!

After awhile, I decided not to do every single hole. I started skipping three to five holes in each direction and it still turned out great. You can see what I mean below. I did keep the outside edge consistent, with pipe cleaners in each hole.

Hanging it was interesting - I ended up using a combination of fishing line and push pins. Had I not been planning this party at the last moment (as usual), I might have tried to construct a stand so that it could rest on its own.

Overall, I was really pleased with how it turned out - it was a simple decoration that had a lot of pizzazz for our Octonauts party!